The future is yours at this year’s Oral Health Conference

The Oral Health Conference and Exhibition (OHC) 2018 is the BSDHT’s flagship event, offering a myriad of benefits for all dental hygienists and dental therapists.

The two-day educational programme will be presented by an array of leading speakers in the field and will cover a wide spectrum of topics that cater to every professional’s learning needs, interests and experience levels.

Among those discussing clinical topics will be Phil Ower, who will be presenting ‘Perio classifications and diagnosis’ on the morning of Saturday 24 November.

Communication skills

In addition to clinical topics such as Phil’s, the OHC 2018 will cover other skills that professionals need to improve their daily lives.

Janet Tarasofsky’s session, entitled ‘Conversations for progress’, at 12 noon on Saturday 24 November will be focusing on communication – but not the type that you might think.

‘I will discuss why it is essential for us to know how to navigate interpersonal challenges in the workplace, especially when you are self-employed,’ Janet comments. ‘I will share insights into the fuel behind our tendency to avoid difficult dialogue, and I will share my DARE strategy, which has been designed to help prepare professionals for their next challenging conversation.

‘This includes the following areas:

Diagnose the real issues behind a challenging conversation

Acknowledge the “personal response” technique, which delves into individual style

Respond quickly to a challenging discussion in a confident and respectful manner

Engage in more productive conversations that lead to progress, not arguments.

‘In an ideal world, someone would have taught us how to face difficult conversations in school, but most didn’t have this experience. Too many people avoid these conversations as a result, leading to high stress levels and feelings of being undervalued at work, misunderstood or not heard. Being able to talk about it is important.’

In her own quest to find new ways of talking about difficult subjects, Janet has recently embarked on a new feminist rap career and she uses her extensive entrepreneurial and personal life experience to help others overcome their own challenging situations.

‘We need to overcome our fear of fear,’ she says. ‘This includes fear of making things worse when we speak out, of getting fired, becoming known as the “confrontational-one”, or of making a colleague cry.

‘I hope delegates leave my session with the confidence to have more challenging conversations. I believe that it is absolutely essential to have more uncomfortable conversations than we are having right now – I know this to be true because the world is not a comfortable place! We can’t change that, but we can learn how to deal with it.’

Aside from the exciting lecture programme and hours of enhanced CPD, OHC 2018 will also host a trade floor with companies demonstrating their latest innovations, an exhibition of the poster competition finalists and the evening dinner and dance with the Dr Leatherman Award presentation.

The future is yours

This year’s OHC will take place over 23-24 November at the Telford International Centre.

The theme of this year’s event is ‘The future is yours’, focusing on professional development, empowerment and aspiration.

Book before 10 September to receive a 25% early-bird discount!

With every base covered, book your place for the OHC 2018 online today!